Bio

Mel Ignatow was born on March 26, 1938. By the late 1980s, he was living in Louisville, Kentucky, and was known locally as a man who presented himself as successful. He drove expensive vehicles, owned a boat, and lived in an affluent area.

Ignatow was in a relationship with Brenda Sue Schaefer for about two years before her death. Schaefer reportedly told friends that Ignatow had been abusive and that she planned to end the relationship. Ignatow knew she intended to break off the relationship and return jewelry he had given her.

Before the murder, Ignatow worked with former girlfriend Mary Ann Shore to plan Schaefer’s abduction, abuse, and killing. Shore later testified that they prepared the location in advance, including testing whether screams could be heard from her house and digging a grave behind the property.

Murder Story

On September 23, 1988, Brenda Sue Schaefer met Mel Ignatow to return jewelry from their relationship. Instead, Ignatow took her to Mary Ann Shore’s house. There, he held her at gunpoint, restrained her, blindfolded and gagged her, and subjected her to sexual assault and physical abuse.

Ignatow killed Schaefer using chloroform. Afterward, he and Shore buried her body behind Shore’s house. Ignatow also kept Schaefer’s jewelry and exposed film connected to the crime.

Police suspected Ignatow early in the investigation, but they initially lacked a body and physical evidence. After Ignatow testified before a grand jury and mentioned Mary Ann Shore, investigators questioned Shore. She eventually confessed her role, led police to Schaefer’s buried body, and wore a recording device during a conversation with Ignatow.

Ignatow was tried for murder in 1991, but the jury acquitted him. The prosecution’s case depended heavily on Shore’s testimony and a recorded conversation that jurors interpreted differently from investigators. The trial judge later apologized to Schaefer’s family for the verdict.

Six months after the acquittal, a carpet worker found a plastic bag hidden in Ignatow’s former home. It contained Schaefer’s jewelry and undeveloped film. Police later found additional film in a heating duct. When developed, the photographs showed Ignatow abusing Schaefer, confirming Shore’s account. Because Ignatow had already been acquitted, he could not be retried for murder under double jeopardy.

Ignatow was later prosecuted for perjury. During the perjury proceedings, he admitted killing Schaefer. He served prison time for federal perjury and was later sentenced on state perjury and persistent felon charges. On January 14, 2002, he received a nine-year sentence. He was released from prison on December 1, 2006.

On September 1, 2008, Mel Ignatow was found dead in his home. Reports in the provided source state that he likely died after an accidental fall involving a glass coffee table, which caused a serious cut and blood loss. He was 70 years old.